A Stroke of Luck

Lately, I have had the most amazing luck.

A few weeks ago, we were out of work, and out of plans. We spent our time scouring the internet for an opportunity, for a direction; and, one day, we happened to see an interesting post on backpackerboard.com. It was written by the owner of a beach resort on Tongatapu, the largest island in the archipelago kingdom of Tonga.

This man had an offer for backpackers in New Zealand and throughout the South Pacific: fly to Tonga, and stay for free at his resort in exchange for a few hours of work each day. He would even throw in breakfast.

John seemed skeptical but, on a whim, I decided to write this man a note, asking for more information. Feeling a bit intrigued, we also checked the cost of a flight to Tonga: about $200. Interesting.

The next day, somewhat to our surprise, the resort owner wrote us a cheerful and candid letter about the business he was starting up and his need for casual workers in exchange for accommodation. He explained that he would generally need gardening done, but possibly cleaning, cooking or reception work, too. He offered us a double room and breakfast, as well as free internet, free laundry, and use of the kitchens, bicycles, and snorkeling gear in exchange for four hours of work each morning, with Sundays off.

Excited but unsure, we put that plan on a back burner and let it simmer.

John and I spent the next few weeks saying our goodbyes to the South Island, and then traveling north to Wellington to look for work.

My spirits rose as I spent time with my cousins, but in Wellington my mood returned. The weather turned cold, and I began to long for the safety and comfort of home: my friends and family, the coming Spring, and the work that I enjoyed at the book store. Homesickness washed over me. In Wellington I felt isolated and lonely, bored and listless. I wanted to go home, and it was a near thing, too: I seriously considered changing my flight and coming home early.

But certain people dissuaded me: Paul, my friend and travel agent; my mother and my sister; my cousin Donelle; a few friends and, most strongly, John. I want to thank those of you that offered me support in those weeks that I felt homesick and lost. You told me that homesickness passes, and that living through these experiences would make me stronger. You said that my situation was sure to change - that adventures lay ahead for me. And you were right.

I scored a temporary catering job, which kept me busy for a couple of days and made me feel that, at last, I was contributing towards a goal. I love to work hard, and scrubbing pots and floors in that dirty kitchen was chicken soup for my soul.

Walking through the city in the crisp Autumn sunshine, I felt reborn.

I began to feel that my luck was changing.

That weekend, John placed a call to Tonga. He spoke with the resort owner for about ten minutes; and the next day, he typed his Visa number into a web site and bought our plane tickets. May 16 - from Auckland to the Kingdom of Tonga, returning on June 6 - three weeks. All told, with taxes and fees, the return-flight tickets cost us $350 each. Not bad.

But how would we get to Auckland?

Once again, backpackerboard came in handy. It was through that web site that we discovered Transfercar - a sort of free car rental scheme. See, car rental companies constantly need their cars relocated, and they love to have backpackers (or anyone) relocate their cars for them. In exchange for a free car and insurance, we pay for the petrol and drive the car from one city to another.

In a stroke of luck, I found that a car did need to be moved from Wellington to Auckland. I applied; and when I checked it the next day, I found that I had actually won the bid!

Free car! My luck was definitely on the rise.

Over the next few days, I received five phone calls from potential employers requesting interviews. It may be too late, but it still improved my self-esteem.

John and I spent our last Saturday night in Wellington "on the town". We visited the most famous clubs in the city, including Alice, where we drank brandy cocktails out of teapots in a Mad-Hatter theme park. We laughed together and had lively conversation, and never had to wait in line. At three, we headed home to watch cartoons.

The next day was bright and sunny, so we caught the bus to the zoo, where we got 50% off - for taking the bus. Ha. We wandered around taking pictures of the lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, and bears. As we went from enclosure to enclosure, it seemed that the zookeeper went with us to feed the animals, so we got an up-close experience of enormous lions crunching bones, giraffes regarding us through kohl-camel eyelashes, and chimpanzees feeding their babes and munching fruit.

On our way home, we stopped to get some supplies: Jeannine is having a birthday party on Friday, our last night here, and it's an Under-water theme costume party. I'm going as a crab (or lobster - it doesn't really matter) and John is going as a puffer fish.

We stayed up until midnight last night, up to our elbows in paper-mache.

The party is five days away, and the following morning, we'll be picking up our rental car and traveling north.

I hope that this coming Friday the 13th doesn't change my luck - but then, considering that I'll be spending the next three weeks on a remote Pacific island, I don't see how it could get any better.